New HQ for Hawke's Bay Civil Defence

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) now has a new home in Hastings.

The Hawke's Bay CDEM office has been relocated from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council offices in Napier to the Hastings District Council Civil Defence building at Lyndon Street East in Hastings.

Hawke's Bay CDEM Group Manager Ian Macdonald says the region has been working to strengthen its Civil Defence Emergency Management Group and the move is another step in this process.

"The move means the group now has a dedicated emergency management centre specifically set up for Civil Defence Emergency Management purposes," says Mr Macdonald.

He says in its role of coordinating the response across the region's emergency response agencies and councils, the new Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) has the capacity to house all the organisations involved in a civil defence emergency, including emergency services and welfare agencies.

"The building we're now in has been earthquake strengthened, has its own generators and a satellite communications capability if required, so we are now better prepared to respond to an emergency."

Ian Macdonald says the Hawke's Bay CDEM Group will continue to maintain an alternate centre at the Hawke's Bay Regional Council offices in Napier, giving the group two base options in the event of a civil defence emergency.

"The majority of the time we will base ourselves in Hastings in an emergency but if it's more appropriate to be based in Napier for an event then we still have that option."